-> What's the definition of a "scout" scope?
Understand first that I haven't actually got to play with one first
hand, just read about them.  But I'm fascinated by them and WANT to get
one to play with.
Jeff Cooper started playing around with the concept of a light, handy
rifle for scouts years ago and wrote about it a number of times in some
of the gun magazines.
As part of his concept, he experimented with mounting a low power scope
forward on the barrel instead of on the receiver.  You shoot such a
scope with both eyes open and this gives you very wide field of view
indeed.
Cooper claims, and others have backed him up, that you can actually
shoot skeet with such a rifle, and break a very high percentage of the
clay birds!
Cooper limited himself to bolt action rifles.  The article in Gun Week
was about another gunsmith/shooter who has adapted the concept to
semi-autos like the SKS, Ruger Mini-14, Colt AR15, even the Springfield
Armory M1A in 308.
They are said to be wonderful rifles for moving targets.  The gunsmith
in question claims to have taken an moving Alaskan Wolf at 450 yd with a
Mini-14 so equipped!
Naturally, you can't just use any old scope like this.  The scope needs
the appropriate eye-relief to work properly when forward mounted.  (Like
handgun scopes)  Cooper arranged for Burris to make a couple of such
scopes to his specifications, and Burris now sells these as "scout"
scopes.
Drop me your snail and I'll send you a photocopy of the Gun Week
article, if you like, Dan.
Regards
John
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